UK Launches Digital Veteran ID in One Login App

The UK has launched an optional digital HM Armed Forces Veteran Card for about 1.8–2 million veterans that can be downloaded into the gov.uk One Login app as the government’s first verified digital credential and cannot be added to Apple or Google wallets. The card provides proof of service to access benefits including housing support, mental-health services, charity help and retail discounts. It will be initially validated by photo comparison, with plans to add QR codes and electronic checks later. Ministers present the rollout as a “case study” ahead of plans to digitise driving licences, passports and DBS checks by the end of 2027 and as a precursor to a proposed mandatory digital ID (“BritCard”) to prove right to work. Officials and the technology minister have denied the scheme would create a centralised tracking database and say One Login meets high security standards, but campaigners and some veterans — backed by a large petition — warn of privacy, data‑protection and civil‑liberties risks.